Buoy for recovery of items submerged in water



A. 1.. ADAMS 3,366,983 BUOY FOR RECOVERY OF ITEMS SUBMERGED IN WATER Feb. 6, 1968 Filed July 14, 1966 United States Patent 3,366,983 BUUY FUR RECQVERY 0F ITEMS SUBMERGED EN WATER Albert L. Adams, Springfield, Nebr. 68959 Filed July 14, 196-5, Ser. No. 565,275 7 Claims. (Cl. 9-9) The present invention relates to means for recovering lost articles and more particularly to a buoy to be carried by such articles and automatically actuable, upon their having been accidentally dropped into the water, to provide visible means at the surface to facilitate easy recovery of the articles.

Fishing rods, tackle boxes, outboard motors, and other such articles that are carried over water in boats, airplanes or used over water, for instance on bridges and causeways are susceptible to being accidentally dropped into the water. In instances where the water is more than a fathom or so deep, recovery of the article may be very difficult, time consuming, and effectively impossible for the owner of the article without calling upon skin divers, sonar, electronic trajectory hypothecating apparatus and submarines. Obviously when it is a sporting equipment article such as a fishing rod and reel that have been lost, the employment of such sophisticated recovery gear would seldom be economically justifiable though the lost equipment was sorely missed by its owner.

For this reason, others have proposed to provide automatically actuable buoys attachable to articles and which are arranged to be released upon being wetted, so they can float to the surface carrying a line to make easy the recovery of the lost article. Such prior art buoy devices are far from free of shortcomings since, for instance, many once actuated cannot be reset to enable them to be used again. Accordingly, should the tackle box or other article to which such prior art buoy device is attached get rained upon, the buoy soluble actuator may soften and actuate the buoy whereupon the buoy device has to be replaced. In some instances, such buoy devices are built in and cannot be replaced absent replacement of the whole article. Accordingly, rather than throw the article away after the buoy device thereof has accidentally actuated, most users tend to rue the mechanical age and continue to use the article with its expended buoy device in an inoperable condition. In addition, many of such devices are so fragile and ill-suited to remaining in loaded condition for long periods before they are eventually needed, that many fail to operate properly when the article to which they are attached is finally accidentally dropped overboard.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an automatically actuable buoy attachable to articles that are to be used near bodies of water; which buoys are constructed and arranged to release upon being wetted and float to the surface carrying a line so that the lost article can be easily recovered, the buoy being so rugged as to operate properly even after remaining in a loaded condition for a long time awaiting accidental loss of the article overboard.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a buoy of the type described which can easily be reloaded after actuation so as to be reusable.

These and other objects of the present invention as well as the principles and scope of applicability thereof will appear and become more fully apparent during the course of the following detailed discussion that is keyed, from time to time, to the embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a buoy 3,356,:183 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 ICC device according to the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the device of FIGURE 1, in an assembled loaded condition and mounted on a fishing rod handle;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the assembly of FIGURE 2, depicting a condition just after buoy actuation; and

FIGURE 4, similar to FIGURE 2, shows a modification.

The buoy device 10 includes a generally tubular outer casing 12 having a bore 14 closed at one end by a disklike end wall 16. Means for securing the device It) to the article susceptible of being dropped overboard are pro vided on the casing 12, for instance in the form of a bolt 18 received in a central hole 20 through the end wall 16. The bolt 18 has its head 22 received against the interior surface of the end wall 16 and its shank 24 protruding substantially outwardly of the casing 12. The bolt is shown secured in place by a nut 26 threadably received on the shank against the exterior surface of the end wall 16. The article A to be protected is provided with a threaded socket s or other opening into which the shank 24 can be received and secured.

The casing 12 bore 14 is shown intersected by a slot 28 near the interior surface of the end wall 16, by a radially directed opening 30 slightly axially and somewhat angularly spaced from the slot 28. At least one additional radially directed opening 32 is provided through the casing 12 sidewall intersecting the bore 14 intermediate the ends thereof. The casing 12 is completed by two longitudinal guide ridges 34 diametrically spaced from one another in the bore 14 proceeding from near the open end 36 of the casing 12 about half the distance toward the closed end of the casing 12.

A convolute spring 38, similar to a watch main-spring and having a tang 40, 42 at its inner and outer ends is received within the casing 12 bore 14 adjacent the end wall and secured in place by insertion of the outer tang 4-2 in the slot 28. A disk-like locking wheel 44 is next received in the bore 14 with the inner tang 4d of the spring 38 being fixed to the locking wheel 44 near the center of the locking wheel in the radially outwardly opening slot 46 on the axially extending, radially smaller collar 48 thereof.

It should now be noticed that when received in the bore 14 overlying the spring 38, the locking wheel peripheral surface 5%) is coincident with the casing 12 opening 39. It should also be noted that the locking wheel 44 is provided with a radially outwardly opening notch 52 in the peripheral surface 50 with an axially directed central opening 54 and with key receiving socket means shown as a pair of diametrically opposed, axially directed openlugs 56 through the locking wheel intermediate the central axis and peripheral surface 50 thereof. Accordingly, the locking wheel can be deposited in the bore 14- and rotated until the spring tang 40 pops into the slot 46; then using a two pronged yoke, an ice pick or similar convenient instrument received in the socket means 56, the locking wheel 44 can be rotated in a sense to wind the spring 38. The locking wheel is journaled for rotation by a shaftlike projection 58 received through the central opening 54- and secured to the bolt 18. As shown in the embodimcnt illustrated, the projection 58 comprises the shank of a boss bolt 60 threaded into a socket 62 in the head 22 of the bolt 18. The bolt 6t) has a head 64 that prevents axial movement of the wheel 44 and maintains a C-shap-ed clip 66 in adjacency with the surface 68 of the wheel 44 nearest the head 64. Ridges 70 on the surface 68 flank the clip 66 and prevent its rotation with respect to the wheel 44.

The clip 56 is mounted with its back against the wheel 44 and its two arms projecting first away from the wheel 44 then toward one another, terminating just short of touching to define a gap 74. The spring 38 should be con structed and arranged to be sufficiently wound, that upon unwinding it will rotate the wheel 44 about six revolutions or so for reasons that will appear hereinafter. Upon being wound near tightness, the locking wheel notch 52 should be adjacent and angularly aligned with the opening 39 whereupon a close fitting plug 72 is inserted in the opening 39 and urged forwardly to project into the notch 5.2. Tue plug 72 is made of material that will quickly dissolve or at least fail under the incumbent shear stress when wetted, for instance when the article A falls overboard. A conventional tablet of compressed table salt has been found to work well as a plug '72.

The buoy device it) is completed by a floatation spool 76, a length of elongated flexible element such as fishing line 78 and a shaft 30.

The floatation spool 75 includes a pair of radial flanges 82, 84, mounted on a hollow central shaft 86 and an integral spacer 38 adjacent the flange 84. The spacer 88 has a closed, air filled chamber 93 defined therewithin so the spool 76 as a whole is considerably lighter than the water it is capable of displacing when submerged. The hollow shaft also extends through the chamber 9-9 and has a plurality of axially, progressively angularly spaced, radially inwardly directed pins 91 mounted on the shaft 86 defining helical internal threading therewithin throughout the length of the spool 76. One end of the line 78 is secured to the spool 76 and the line 73 is then wound on the shaft 8-6 between the flanges 82, 84. The spacer 88 is longitudinally notched at 92 in the outer periphery thereof to admit extension of the opposite end region of the line 78 past the spool 76 for attachment to the casing 12 at 94 Within the bore 14, between the spool 76 and wheel 44. The spool flange 84 and spacer 83 are also diametrically grooved at complementarily to the guides 34. The flange 82 has a generally cylindrical periphery of slightly smaller diameter than the bore 14 so that when assembled as shown in FIGURE 2, the flange 82 substantially closes the opposite end of the casing 12 from the endwall 16. The shaft 80 has means defining external helical threading provided by the plurality of pins 91, 98 thereon complementary to the threading within the spool 76 hollow shaft. The threading 98 is steeply pitched, comprising, for instance about turns per inch. Prior to insertion of the spool 76 into the casing bore 14, the shaft 8% is threaded into the spool shaft 86 to the point shown in FIGURE 2, so as to have one end 1% thereof protruding. Adjacent and leading to the end 100, the shaft 89 is tapered or spade shaped at 192. Just above this region, the shaft 80 has diametrically opposed notches 184 therein. Accordingly, the floatation spool 76 with the line 78 wound thereon and attached at 94, and with the shaft 8%) threaded therein as just described, is inserted into the bore 14 with the shaft end tilt) foremost and the grooves 96 riding on the guide ridges 34. This assembly is advanced in the bore 14 until the spade 1il2 enters the gap 74 spreading the arms of the clip 66 sufficiently to allow further advancement until the clip 66 arms snap into the notches 104, thus locking the shaft with respect to the clip 66 and locking wheel 44.

In use, should the article A fall overboard, the plug 72 dissolves or shears, freeing the wheel 44 to rotate under the influence of the unwinding spring 38. Rotation of the wheel 44 causes rotation of the clip 66 that in turn rotates the shaft 8i). Because the guides 34 prevent the spool 76 from rotating with the shaft 80, the spool 76 moves axially along the shaft 80 riding up the threading 98 until the spool 76 is axially free of the shaft 80 and casing 12 (FIGURE 3) whereupon the spool 76 bobs to the surface paying out the line 78 as it goes. Sighting the bobbing spool 76, the article A loser merely grasps Cir the spool and starts pulling up the line 78 until the article A is retrieved. Obviously, the pound-test of the line 78 should be sufficiently great that it will not break as the article A is pulled to the surface, and the line 78 should be long enough to allow the spool 76 to reach the surface from any point where the article A is likely to be lost.

It should be appreciated that where the device 10 is to be used with very heavy articles A, such as boats or outboard motors, the buoyant spool 78 may be used as a spotter buoy, that is, rather than reeling in the line 78, the heavy article may be retrieved by a diver following the line 78 from the floating spool down to the submerged article A.

To reuse the device 10 after the article A has been retrieved, the shaft 8% is simply pulled out of the clip 66, the line 78 rewound on the spool 76 and the shaft 80 threaded back into the spool. The wheel 44 is then rotated, using a tool as mentioned above, to wind the spring 38 and locked in a loaded condition with a new salt plug. The spool, fishing line and shaft 8% assembly is then reinserted in the casing 12 and locked in the clip 66. The article A is then ready to be accidentally dropped overboard again.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 4, wherein numeral primes show modified equivalents, the guide ridges 34 in the casing 12 are replaced by grooves 34- at least one of which extends to a point along side the wheel 44 and the spool grooves 96 are replaced by complementary ridges as. The salt plug 72 rather than being received in a separate opening 36, is deposited in one of the grooves 34' from inside the bore 14 during assembly and projects into the notch 52.

Wheel 44 can be modified to receive the spiral shaft St This will eliminate clip 66 and the end of the shaft 8t can be made to snap into the wheel 44 locking the two together.

Shaft can either be or plastic or metal.

The device 10 is preferably made of material that will withstand the environment to which it and the article A can be expected to be subjected. Plastic and corrosion resistant metal can be used for most of the parts. The spring 33 can be made of elastic rubber or plastic ma terial as an alternative to being made of corrosion resistant spring steel or the like.

It should now be apparent that the device described herein accomplishes each of the objects set forth hereinbefore and clearly illustrates the principles of the present invention. Because the embodiments illustrated can be considerably modified yet accomplish the objects of the invention without departing from the principles thereof, the present invention should be understood as encompassing all such tmodifications as are within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A buoy device for facilitating recovery of an article susceptible of being lost in a body of water, said buoy device comprising: a generally tubular casing, the bore of said tubular casing being extcriorly accessible through at least one end thereof; locking disk means recei ed in said bore; means journalling said locking disk within said bore for rotative motion generally about the longitudinal axis of the tubular casing; a convolute spring having an inner end and an outer end, said convolute spring being received in said bore and having one end thereof secured to said locking disk and the other end thereof secured to said tubular casing, whereby said locking disk is susceptible of being rotated in a first sense to wind said spring; means defining a notch in the outer periphery of said locking disk; means defining a recess in said casing opening into the bore thereof radially adjacent said locking disk; a locking plug received in said notch and said recess when said spring is in a wound condition to thereby lock said locking disk against rotation and said spring against unwinding, said locking plug being constructed and arranged to fail under incumbent shear stress upon becoming Wet; means defining a longitudinally directed shaft in said bore, secured to said locking disk centrally thereof; means defining external helical threads on said shaft; a spool having means defining a closed compartment filled with lighter-than-water material whereby said spool is buoyant; an elongated flexible element having two ends, one end being secured to said spool and the other end being secured to said casing, the elongated flexible element between said ends being Wound on said spool; said spool having a hollow central shaft, said central shaft having means defining internal helical threads therein complementary to the external helical threads on said shaft secured to said locking disk; said spool being at least partly received in said bore and threadably received on the lastmentioned shaft via said complementary threads; cooperative means on said spool and said casing preventing rotation of said spool with respect to said casing; and means on said casing for securing said buoy device to an article susceptible of being lost in a body of water; whereby when the article is so lost, said plug fails, said spring rotates said locking disk and the shaft thereon axially expels the buoyant spool from the casing and the spool pays out said elongated flexible element as said spool bobs to the surface of the body of water.

2. The buoy device of claim 1 wherein said plug comprises a tablet of compressed table salt.

3. The buoy device of claim 1 further comprising winding tool receiving means on said locking disk; and wherein the shaft secured to said locking disk is manually detachable from and reattachable to said locking disk, whereby said buoy device is easily reloadable after actuation.

4. The buoy device of claim 1 including means defining an endwall on said casing closing the opposite end of said bore from said one end; the means journalling said locking disk comprising shaft means mounted on said endwall.

5. The buoy device of claim 4 wherein said convolute spring is received immediately adjacent said end wall, and between said locking disk and said end wall; said casing having means defining a slot therein radially coincident with said spring; said locking disk having a central axially extending collar projecting into at least partial radial coincidence with said spring centrally of said spring; means defining a radially outwardly opening slot in said collar; the outer end of the spring being received in the slot in said casing and the inner end of said spring being received in the slot in said collar.

6. The buoy device of claim 4 wherein said spool includes a disk-shaped radial flanged constructed and arranged to substantially close said bore one end when said spool is at least partly received in said bore.

7. The buoy device of claim 6 further including means defining at least one additional radial opening into said bore through the casing to facilitate entrance of water into said bore upon submergence of said buoy device in water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,049,733 8/1962 Mennenga 99 3,105,980 10/1963 Hinman 99 FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner.

T. MAJOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BUOY DEVICE FOR FACILITATING RECOVERY OF AN ARTICLE SUSCEPTIBLE OF BEING LOST IN A BODY OF WATER, SAID BUOY DEVICE COMPRISING: A GENERALLY TUBULAR CASING, THE BORE OF SAID TUBULAR CASING BEING EXTERIORLY ACCESSIBLE THROUGH AT LEAST ONE END THEREOF; LOCKING DISK MEANS RECEIVED IN SAID BORE; MEANS JOURNALLING SAID LOCKING DISK WITHIN SAID BORE FOR ROTATIVE MOTION GENERALLY ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE TUBULAR CASING; A CONVOLUTE SPRING HAVING AN INNER END AND AN OUTER END, SAID CONVOLUTE SPRING BEING RECEIVED IN SAID BORE AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF SECURED TO SAID LOCKING DISK AND THE OTHER END THEREOF SECURED TO SAID TUBULAR CASING, WHEREBY SAID LOCKING DISK IS SUSCEPTIBLE OF BEING ROTATED IN A FIRST SENSE TO WIND SAID SPRING; MEANS DEFINING A NOTCH IN THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID LOCKING DISK; MEANS DEFINING A RECESS IN SAID CASING OPENING INTO THE BORE THEREOF RADIALLY ADJACENT SAID LOCKING DISK; A LOCKING PLUG RECEIVED IN SAID NOTCH AND SAID RECESS WHEN SAID SPRING IS IN A WOUND CONDITION TO THEREBY LOCK SAID LOCKING DISK AGAINST ROTATION AND SAID SPRING AGAINST UNWINDING, SAID LOCKING PLUG BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO FAIL UNDER INCUMBENT SHEAR STRESS UPON BECOMING WET; MEANS DEFINING A LONGITUDINALLY DIRECTED SHAFT IN SAID BORE, SECURED TO SAID LOCKING DISK CENTRALLY THEREOF; MEANS DEFINING EXTERNAL HELICAL THREADS ON SAID SHAFT; A SPOOL HAVING MEANS DEFINING A CLOSED COMPARTMENT FILLED WITH LIGHTER-THAN-WATER MATERIAL WHEREBY SAID SPOOL IS BUOYANT; AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT HAVING TWO ENDS, ONE END BEING SECURED TO SAID SPOOL AND THE OTHER END BEING SECURED TO SAID CASING, THE ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID ENDS BEING WOUND ON SAID SPOOL; SAID SPOOL HAVING A HOLLOW CENTRAL SHAFT, SAID CENTRAL SHAFT HAVING MEANS DEFINING INTERNAL HELICAL THREADS THEREIN COMPLEMENTARY TO THE EXTERNAL HELICAL THREADS ON SAID SHAFT SECURED TO SAID LOCKIGN DISK; SAID SPOOL BEING AT LEAST PARTLY RECEIVED IN SAID BORE AND THREADABLY RECEIVED ON THE LASTMENTIONED SHAFT VIA SAID COMPLEMENTARY THREADS; COOPERATIVE MEANS ON SAID SPOOL AND SAID CASING PREVENTING ROTATION OF SAID SPOOL WITH RESPECT TO SAID CASING; AND MEANS ON SAID CASING FOR SECURING SAID BUOY DEVICE TO AN ARTICLE SUSCEPTIBLE OF BEING LOST IN A BODY OF WATER; WHEREBY WHEN THE ARTICLE IS SO LOST, SAID PLUG FAILS, SAID SPRING ROTATES SAID LOCKING DISK AND THE SHAFT THEREON AXIALLY EXPELS THE BUOYANT SPOOL FROM THE CASING AND THE SPOOL PAYS OUT SAID ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT AS SAID SPOOL BOBS TO THE SURFACE OF THE BODY OF WATER. 